Just a few words before the start:

Apart from the fact that I don't own GW, this fic contains some religious thematic that some people might not be comfortable with. It's not too much nor too deep, but if you don't really like it then I suggest you hit the back button on your browser, same goes for some lemony parts. Other than that, I really hope you enjoy this new fic I've come up with.

XXX XXX XXX

THE CEREMONY

Quatre Raberba Winner came from a long line of psychics. Most of his ancestors had had that rare gift of being able to establish contact with the supernatural. Quatre was the youngest member of his family at the moment and it was his turn to be formally accepted into their tradition. For some reason though, he knew it wasn't going to be easy.

Usually at the age of sixteen the member of the family that was about to be initiated had a very peculiar vision. Having it meant he or she was ready. If he didn't get it, he would have to postpone his initiation for next year. This made him quite nervous, as his entire family was expectant on him making it this year.

On the special day, some hours before the ceremony, his best friend, Dorothy Catalonia, came by to visit, and hopefully comfort, the jumpy boy…

"You are SO going to blow it!" shrieked Dorothy delighted. Quatre simple wished he could drown himself in his cup of tea.

"Thank you Dorothy" replied Quatre in a rather high-pitched voice, unable to tear his gaze away from his cup. For some reason it had started shaking in his hand, dangerously threatening to spill its contents down his front.

"I'm just joking!" added Dorothy seeing her best friend's obvious state of nervousness, "you're gonna be fine. You've already had some visions before, that's a good sign"

"Might I remind you Dorothy, that those visions came only after you got me drunk as hell on Hilde's last birthday party. They can hardly be considered as real visions, you know?"

"Hmm…" Dorothy had a dreamy face on, remembering Quatre laughing madly at the party and about to throw a strip show for the birthday girl on top of her table before he was stopped by Hilde's furious brothers. Moments like that one were priceless.

"Snap back to reality Dorothy! If this vision actually comes-"

"It will, stop fretting about it"

"But what if it doesn't?"

"Then fake it"

Quatre raised his head, a short spasm of hope shinning through his eyes. But it left as fast as it came.

"Impossible" replied Quatre turning back to his shaking tea. "My Dad says you enter a sort of special trance… I've never seen it so I won't know how to fake it… They'll know at once I'm pretending"

Dorothy stared compassionately at her friend. She set her cup on the table and hugged him. Quatre set his own cup on the table and embraced Dorothy in return.

"You'll be fine" whispered Dorothy, "everything's gonna be alright"

XXX XXX XXX

Dressed in his ceremonial robes, Quatre found walking itself to be a rather complicated task. The maroon woollen robe was so long it fell in folds all around him. He had to walk carefully to avoid tripping over it and he had to drag it as well. It didn't seem it, but it was surprisingly heavy for being such a simple piece of fabric. How he approached the ceremonial space was a total mystery for him, but when he got there, he discovered that the effort of walking under such garments had made him forget all about what came next.

Lined up to either sides of a path were his family and guests, all dressed up in white. Dorothy was not too far away from the start. At the end stood his father holding the edge of a rope, waiting for him with a warm smile.

Well… this is it thought Quatre.

He began advancing, aware that all eyes were set on him. There was a deep silence broken only by the sound of the heavy robe being dragged down the path. Right ahead was his father with the rope. Up close now he could see that a circle had been formed with the rope around a stone altar. Once he was level with his father, he turned and faced the guests.

"Here we are gathered, dear family and friends, to present the youngest member of the proud Winner family", spoke his father in a loud clear voice. "May the light of truth and knowledge invest upon him their gifts and allow him to See"

"Follower of the truth, seeker of the one true Light, go forth and let your destiny join you", began to chant the guests.

Quatre now felt adrenaline running through his veins. With his dad's spectacular introduction and the rhythmic, droning chant of those conforming the rows of family and friends, Quatre suddenly had a feeling of emptiness in his stomach. He could hear his heart drumming loudly and as he approached the entrance to the circle, he suddenly became deaf to anything outside. All he saw and heard were the altar, his footsteps, and his heart.

What if I fail?

"There's nothing to be worried about" told him his dad the previous night, "if nothing happens then it means you're not ready and you can try next year, but that's not important… your mother and I won't love you less, nor the rest think wrongly about you. And if you see something, it's nothing to worry about either. It doesn't hurt and it won't affect you in any everlasting way." His father's warm smile comforted him.

But now Quatre was certain of one thing; as he set foot inside the circle he immediately felt it. A vague sense of drowsiness took hold of his body and the only thought that fill his mind was:

Take the chalice and drink

He had only just noticed the chalice on top of the altar, but his thoughts seemed to go ahead of him. His father never told him anything about it, nor what was he supposed to do with it. A clear, transparent liquid, lay inside it. Quatre was completely sure it wasn't water, but he really didn't have much time to wonder, as the voice in his mind ordered him to drink.

Drink it!

The voice was now louder. It didn't sound like the voice of someone he knew, or like his own voice, but he was absolutely sure it belonged to him. It wasn't just a thought and it was very commanding. It kept insisting.

DRINK NOW!

XXX XXX XXX

Chang Wufei was a scholar in his last year at History career. Ever since he could remember, he was a keen researcher of the past. His own family tree that went down twelve generations had been his highest accomplishment at the age of fifteen. Now, he was mostly interested in religious myths and was utterly fascinated by catholic religion. Was there really a God? Was Satan really an angel before he was cast down to Hell? He found questions of the sort quite interesting.

Fortunately for him, a mentor of his was keen on such investigations as well. He was an old, very rich, man, and decided to give him a chance to discover the truth. Wufei was currently enjoying the benefits of a well-funded research trip, and just as he was ready to make his way to Egypt from The Vatican, he unexpectedly found an old friend of his at Internet, in the messenger. It was a woman, about 25, with braids hanging at either side of her head.

"Hi Wufei," spoke the woman, "I wasn't expecting to find you here"

"Hello Sally, how've you been?" answered Wufei mildly impressed.

"Quite alright, thanks for asking. I heard you're about to come back. How did your project go over at The Vatican?"

"Well, you know, the church won't let anything out, especially if it's considered threatening by them, and let's say that the files I was looking for weren't exactly what you'd call perfectly safe… but other than that, it was an excellent trip, very illustrative"

"I'm glad to hear that. So, when are you getting here?"

"I leave tomorrow at midday. I expect to arrive somewhere between four or five in the afternoon"

"Oh that's great! You might be able to make it in time for the ceremony!"

"Ceremony?"

"Yes, the initiation ceremony. I suppose you've heard of the Winner family?"

"Who hasn't? That long line of psychics and fortune-tellers…"

"They're more than just that," replied Sally annoyed at her friend's comment. "You talk of them like they're a bunch of cheap story-tellers!"

"All right Sally, I'm sorry. However, why exactly would I want to attend such ceremony, according to you?"

"Well…" Sally seemed to be carefully choosing her words, "they have a lot of connection with the subject you're investigating, and maybe your assistance to such a ceremony might enlighten you"

"Hn…"

"I only thought you might find it interesting, even if you don't entirely believe it"

"Well, if I make it on time I'll be there"

"Great! Be at my place, 7 pm and we can go together, kay?"

Wufei sighed. Maybe Sally was right, a visit like that might prove educational and, in the pursuit of truth, he had to be willing to experiment new circumstances. "Fine Sally, I'll be there. Now I have to go, see you tomorrow".

XXX XXX XXX

The contents inside the chalice were cool, but as they went down, they burned Quatre's throat leaving him sputtering and coughing. The voice in his head immediately stopped and he suddenly became well aware of his surroundings. Slowly, he turned. All eyes were anxious on him, everyone waited for something to happen. For a whole minute Quatre just stood there, looking back and forth, not feeling any different. The suggestion Dorothy made earlier of faking it had just began to worm its way back into Quatre's mind when he felt it.

A blow to his face, kind of like getting hit square in the nose with a baseball bat, threw him backwards and made him stumble over the robes and fall right on top of the altar. No one had approached him, though.

He raised himself bewildered and immediately felt his nose for any bleeding. There was none, not even a broken bone, as he expected, and the chalice was at his feet, the contents entirely spilled on his robes. Embarrassed he looked up waiting to see everyone on the floor, laughing madly at him, but the room was empty. In fact, he wasn't even in the room he had been at only a minute ago. Whiteness extended all around him for miles and miles, as far away as he could see.

"Where am I?" his voice echoed in the nothingness. "Is there anyone here?" Still nothing.

He swallowed hard and turned all around in case he could see the tiniest trace of whatever that wasn't white. Perhaps it was part of the ceremony, but his dad never told him anything of seeing white.

"Am I dead?" he asked to the empty space.

Maybe whatever was in the chalice killed me… or the blow I got on the face…

He inspected his nose once more and for the first time he realized it didn't even hurt. Still, he stared at his hands and felt tears burning his eyes.

Why are you crying my love?

"I don't know"

Are you afraid?

"Why should I be?"

Because you're about to learn the truth you've been looking for

"What truth?"

Come and see

Quatre dragged his robe forward, and for the first time since he got in that strange place did he notice the rope lying on the floor. The rope formed a circle around him and the altar, he now remembered, and he felt safe there, but it was time to leave the safety of certainty behind and discover where everything had come from.

Yes, my dear, come

XXX XXX XXX

The airport was tightly packed, as usual, and Wufei was starting to feel a light headache crawl up his head by the time his flight was due. A bored looking lady thanked him for choosing their airlines and bid him a nice flight. Wufei hated flying and was sure it would be anything but nice. Still, it was the quickest way to get back home and he had no choice if he wanted to be back at school in time.

"Hn…" was all he could answer back. Securing his backpack on his shoulders, he made his way to his seat.

"Number six, aisle side…" good, he hated the window side.

A rather large man was already seated on the place next to him. A copy of a recently famous book on religious myths lay on his lap as he stared intently out the window. When Wufei approached his seat the man turned a nervous face to him.

"Good morning" said the man. Wufei nodded politely as a response. "It's my first flight, I'm kind of nervous, but then again, I hear this company is known for being one of the safest in the market. I really can't wait to tell grandma about this, she knows I get vertigo even when I climb up a chair, he, he" the man chuckled at his own joke and offered a hand to Wufei, "the name's Fabrizzio"

Oh great, what promised to be a very talkative guy was seated right next to him. The sort of people that try to engage you into a conversation because they think it relieves stress, not realizing it's annoying. Wufei had a bad feeling that his headache wouldn't get any better.

"I'm Wufei," he answered somewhat reluctantly.

After a while, things hadn't really improved as Wufei's worst fears came true.

"…so I thought, what the hey? You only live once and life shouldn't go to waste, besides, I've always believed that a bit of adrenaline is good from time to time. That's when I decided I should visit the Sistine Chapel. Then…"

Some people really don't know when to shut up. Wufei was really regretting the fact he had forgotten to bring aspirins, when an excellent idea sprung up his brain.

"That's really fascinating" interrupted Wufei all of a sudden not really knowing what was the fascinating subject.

"Isn't it?" replied the man with an almost ecstatic face.

"Yes, but I'm afraid I've got to go. Nature calls"

"Oh, right, I'll wait. When you come back I can start telling you all about how grandma found a wallet at Venice. It was so exiting, she's never found anything in her entire life, can you believe it?"

"Hn…" what he couldn't believe was his luck. Both stalls in the airplane were occupied and he only hoped he wouldn't find a couple coming out of one of them. Sighing for like the hundredth time, he waited five whole minutes for his turn. Luckily, only a woman came out, gave him an awkward smile, and in he went.

He didn't really need to go. The biggest urge he felt at the moment was that of getting rid of the Fabrizzio guy. He splashed some water on his face and dried it with a paper towel. Leaning back on the wall, he realized he couldn't stay there the entire flight, but some minutes of peace were good enough. Ever since there was a tiny, wee, five-year-old Wufei, the flying problem began. After all, who doesn't get a flying problem after the plane crashes?

Back then, Wufei and his dad were the only survivors of the accident. They were flying home when some turbulence caught up to them and made the pilot lose control. Fortunately, they were flying overseas and they had a better chance at survival; they weren't smashed to pulp on hard floor.

The weird part of it is that Wufei could've sworn someone helped him out, someone he never saw. That someone had protected him during the impact, that someone led him out, and that someone reunited him with his dad. He had heard stories before of angels and the sort, helping people out. But he hadn't seen white feathers, or anything like it, only felt the warmth and tranquillity. The only souvenir he got from the incident had been a rather large scar down his back.

After that it had been a long time before he had to fly again, but when the time came, he wasn't scared at all, only annoyed. Too many people made him uneasy and that exclusively was the relatively worse part of flying.

Looking down at his watch he saw they were about to land in some fifteen minutes or so. Well, if that guy kept talking for those last minutes he might have to call the Guinness people; surely being able to talk non-stop for about four whole hours was some sort of a record.

"What took you?" asked Fabrizzio eagerly as Wufei made his way back to his seat.

"Had to wait for my turn," answered Wufei unable to believe he was actually answering politely when what he actually wanted to say was: "What the hell do you care?"

The airport felt like Heaven and Wufei could almost bend down and kiss the floor that finally parted him from the guy. Without a second look back he waved good-bye and left. If Wufei hadn't been Wufei, he could've skipped.

XXX XXX XXX

According to Sally, the kid was sixteen. He was blonde and had beautiful aquamarine eyes. He was clearly struggling against himself, probably debating whether he should make it all the way up to where his Father was standing or simply duck the whole outfit and run like hell in the opposite direction. He didn't blame him, though, if it was him on the blonde's position, he would've really have to be either very brave or very drunk to perform a show of the sort.

Sally was standing right next to him, clad all in white, just like himself. He had to pull at his shirt's neck, the place was so hot and stiff he felt like suffocating. Under all those garments, Wufei actually pitied that boy.

After the kid made his way defiantly and carefully, they all heard some welcome words from Senior Winner and so it all began. But Wufei was almost about to strangle Sally to death when he saw that the only thing the boy did was enter the circle and drink something out of a copper chalice. If he had wanted that, he could've simple gone to church any old day during a mass. Really exiting, whoopee!

But in the middle of rolling his eyes the kid fell, apparently unconscious, on top of the altar. Right at the same moment Wufei felt his heart fall and his legs weak. It was not the impression of seeing the boy faint that made him feel sick, it was something else, and he felt desperate for some reason.

"Aren't you going to do something?" suddenly blurted out Wufei standing in the middle of the path clearly scared. All eyes were set upon him and some were annoyed. How dare a stranger interrupt such an important act? Clearly he was completely ignorant to the fact that the young Winner heir was absolutely fine. He was just sleeping, that was all.

"He's not breathing!" yelled Wufei even more desperate now. How he knew the boy wasn't breathing, he wasn't sure, but he was certain of it, and every precious minute that passed could be dangerous for the poor blonde.

All eyes now turned towards Quatre's Father. His eyes were wide and held both surprise and malcontent. He now regretted to have allowed guests other than family come to the ceremony. He didn't even turned to look at Quatre to see if the stranger had by any chance guessed right, he was completely sure his son was fine and in no immediate danger.

"Please…" was the last thing Wufei said staring around in disbelief. A boy could be dying right in front of his eyes and no one would do anything. Why was everyone just staring stupidly at him like that, and why was he so certain that the boy wasn't breathing?

XXX XXX XXX

A/N: I'm at it again!!! And this time I really overdid myself with the length of this chapter. Never before had I written a chapter this long. Anyways, I only wish to thank whoever reaches these notes because it means they've read the whole thing. Please don't leave without dropping by a review, even if it's a little one, k?